Piano guard



Pl ANO G UARD. FILED FEB. 27, 1922.

Patented Jan. 16, 1923. l

UNITED STATES JOHN J. SCHLUMBRECHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO GUARD.

Application filed February 27, 1922.

Be it known that I, Jol-1N J. SCHLUM- nnnoirr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State oit Illinois, have invented certain new and useful `Improvements in Piano Guards, ot which the Yfollowing is a speciication.

This invention. relates to guards or shields ot the type designed to protect the front portion of a piano case immediately above and to either side olf the pedals 'trom injury and de'taeeinent through accidental contact with the shoes ol children andkother careless players who Ytreoiwntly scratch and otherwise inar the polished surface ot' the case through an improper application of the soles ot the shoes to the pedals.

Various piano guards of this character have heretofore been proposed, some of which are suspended from the under side of the keybed. Others are supported on the Hoor through feet which extend beneath the base of the pia-no case and are frictionally held between the latter and the floor.

My present invention belongs to the latter type, and its main object is to provide a. guard which will be readily adjustable to all sizes and makes 'of pianos. Another object is to provide a device of this character wherein the guard plate holders shall be capable of adjustment to receive guard plates of varying thicknesses. A further object is to provide a device wherein the holders or clamps which support the guard plate can be set at varying distances from the front of the piano case according to the structure of the pedals or the conformation of the lower front corner of the case. further object is to provide a shield or guard, the supporting feet of which shall be adjustable in height so as to engage with the ioor and the base ot the piano case regardless oli the height oi the latter from the floor. A\ still further object is to provide a guard of this character that shall be adaptable to pianos having either a square lower front corner or a beveled lower front corner and shall co-operate with either without danger of scratching or marring the finished Ysurface of the case. Another object had in view is to .provide a piano guard ot neat` artistic and unobtrusive appearance which shall be an ornamental adjunct as well as a protector for a ,vulnerable portion of the case.

Serial No. 539,341.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated one practical and approved embodiment of the invention, and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation ot the lower front portion oit a piano showing my improved guard or shield applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken ou the line 2-2 ol Fig. 1, showing the device applied to a piano ease. having a rectangular lower front corner,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the application o't' the device to a piano case having a beveled or chamiered lower front corner;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 ot' Fig. 2, looking downwardly; and

Fig. 5 is a detail plan .view of the bearing strip supporting spring.

Generally described, the device of my invention comprises a pair of duplicate sub stantially L-shaped guard plate holders, each of which consists of a vertically disposed clamp and a foot portion extending beneath the piano case and frictionally held between the bottom or". the latter and the floor, and a guard plate, which is preferably of glass or other transparent material, straddling the pedals and removably supported and held by the vertical clamps ol. the holders.

Since the holders are duplicates, a description oit one will suiiice for both. A fiat metal strip is bent to rectangular form, providing a flat vertical portion 10, and a flat horizontal foot portion 11. A similarI but thinner metal strip is likewise bent to substantially rectangular form, providing an upstanding and slightly bowed spring vfinger 1Q. and a base or toot portion 13. The base portions 1,1 and 1-3 of these strips are superposed, as shown in Fig. 2. one of them. such as 11, being provided with a longitudinal slot 14 and the other being countersunk to receive the head of a clamp bolt 15, whereby the base members 11 and 13 are united with capacity for longitudinal adjustment by virtue of which adjustment the spring finger 12 may be disposed at varying distances from the vertical memher l() to accommodate guard plates of different thicknesses.

Adjustably mounted on the base member 1l is a strip 16, one end of which is bent or otfset, as shown at 17 to form an adjustable fulcrum for a flat spring 18, the lower end of which latter is engaged he neath an anchor' hook 19 secured to the rear end of the base 1l as by a rivet Qt), while the inner or front end of `t-he spring` 18 is formed with an upstanding pin or stud .2l (Fig. Supported on the free end of the spring 18 is a flat bearing strip 2Q which, as best shown in Fig. 3, is formed with a longitudinal series of holes 23, anyone of which may be engaged with the piu 2l of the spring, whereby the bearing strip 22 is adjustable lengthwise. and whereby also said bearing` strip, being pivoted on the spring, may automatically adjust itself to the surface of the under side of the baseboard B of the piano case. The forvv'ard' end of the strip 09 is bent upwardly,

as shown at S22 in F 2 and 3, and is covered by a sleeve or hood 2li. of rubber, felt or soft material adapted to have a bearing against the lower front wall of the base of the case and se ve as a stopte de termine the spacing of the guard plate clamps from the front surface of the piano case.

25 designates the guard plate which is preferably made of plate glass, and is cut out on its under side to straddle the pedals indicated at P, the lower side portionsof the plate litt-ing into the spring sockets or clamps formed by the members l0 and 1:2 oit the holders; When so fitted. the 'guard plate 25 is securely supported in place, but may readily be removed by a simple lifting` movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device of my invention is readily adjustable and hence adaptable to various heights of piano case bases and to various contours and finishes of the portions of the case adjacent to the pedals. For instance, in Fig. 3 I have illustrated the application of the device to a piano case the lower front corner of which is beveled or chamfered as shown at B', this permitting the guardv plate 25 to be set somewhat closer to the front of the case thanin the structure of case shown in Figs. l and 2. `Where the baseboard of the case is higher from 'the floor than that indicated in Fig. the bolt 15 is loosened and the fulcrum strip 1 6 is adjusted to shift the fulcruin 17 closer to the anchor 19, which correspondingly elevates t-he free end of the spring 1S and the bearing strip 22 supported thereby. In the case of a lower baseboard the fulcrum 1T is adjusted inthe other direction. The described structiir'e`enables the feet 'of the holders to be adjusted through a very considerable vertical range; while the longitudinal adjustability of the bearing strip on the spring 1,8 enables the vertical clamps l0, 12,to be set at any desired or .necessary distance from the front of the piano case.

By making the guard plate 25 of glass, the linish of the piano case lying behind the same is, of course, not concealed or occluded, so that the guard plate itself is hardly visible except upon close inspection. lhere, however, a cheaper construction is desired, the glass guard plate may be replaced by one of wood, metal, or any other material, its particular thickness being of no consequence since the clamp fingers 1Q are adjustable to hold it regardless of its thickness.

The use of clamps yto hold the guardplate has a, further advantage in that it enables the `ruard-"plate to be set higher or lower, according to the height of the piano pedals above the floor.

While l have described one practical einbodiment of my invention which in practice has been found to fulfill the stated purposes and objects thereof, it will be manifest that the structure shown and described may be variously modified in respect of details without altering the substantial character and principle of the invention or sacrificing vany of the advantages thereof. Hence l reserve all such variations and modilications as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claims.

l claim- 1. In a piano guard of the character described, t-he combination of a pair of vertical clamps disposed on opposite sides of the piano pedals respectively, each of said clamps having a foot extending beneath the base ofthe piano zase, and a guard plate straddling the pedals and supported by said clamps.

2. In a piano guard of the cl'iaracter described, the con'ibination of a pair of transverselvelastic vertical clamps disposed on opposite sides of the piano pedals respectively., each of said clamps having a horizoxr tal transverselyelastic foot bearing against the base of the piano case, and a guard plate straddling the pedals and removably held by said clamps.

3. In a piano guard of the character described. the combination of a. pair of widtlr wise adjustable vertical spring clamps disposed on opposite sides of the piano pedals respectively, each of said clamps having a. horizontal foot lying between the base of the piano case and the floor, and aA gua-rd plate straddling the pedals and supported by said clamps.

Ll. ln a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate holders each comprising an 4upright Strip, an upright spring finger substantially parallel with and spaced from said stri and a horizontal Afoot extending beneat the piano case, and a guard plate straddling the pedals and clamped between said upright strips and lingers.

In a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate holders each comprising an upright strip, an upright spring finger in front of and substantially parallel with said strip and adjustable toward and from the latter, and a .horizontal foot extending beneath the piano case, and a guard plate straddling the pedals and clamped between said upright strips and fingers.

G. In a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate supports, each comprising an upright socket member and a horizontal foot member extending beneath the bottom of the piano case, a spring mounted on said foot member, a bearing strip supported by said spring and pressed by the latter against the bottom of Said case, and a guard plate removably mounted in said socket members.

7. In a piano guard of the character desra-ibed. the combination of a pair of guard plate supports, each comprising an upright socket member and a horizontal foot member extending beneath the bottom of the piano case, a spring mounted on said Jfoot member, a bearing strip supported by said spring and pressed by the latter against the bottom of said case, an upwardly extended stop on the end of said bearing strip, and a guard plate removably mounted in said socket members.

S. In a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate supports each comprising an upright socket member and a horizontal foot member extending beneath the bottom of the piano case, a spring mounted on said Joot member and provided with a pivot lug on its upper end, a bearing strip formed with a longitudinal series of seats for said pivot lug and pressed by said spring against the bottom of said case7 an upwardly extended stop on the end of said bearing strip, and a guard plate removably mounted in said socket members.

9. In a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate supports each comprising an upright socket member and a horizontal foot member extending beneath the bottom of the piano case, a flat spring anchored at its lower end on said foot member, a fulcrum for said spring mounted on and adjustable lengthwise of said foot member, a bearing strip mounted on the upper end of said spring and pressed by the latter against the bottom of said case, and a guard plate removably mounted in said socket members.

l0. In a piano guard of the character described, the combination of a pair of guard plate holders each comprising inner and outer L-shaped members having their horizontal limbs superposed and united with capacity of relative longitudinal adjustment whereby their vertical limbs may be spaced to receive guard plates Iof varying thicknesses, a spring mounted on the horizontal limb of said inner member; a bearing strip pressed by said spring against the base of the piano case, and a guard plate straddling the pedals and held'between the kspaced vertical limbs of said L-shaped memers.

JOHN J. SCHLUMBRECHT. 

